• Make sure the area to be tattooed is free of any wounds or adverse skin conditions: sunburn, razorburn (when in doubt, don't shave the area- we do that for you anyway).

• Use a moisturizer on the area to be tattooed once a day for a week or two prior to getting tattooed to keep the skin supple and hydrated. This improves elasticity and keeps your skin from drying out, especially in the winter.

• Remember to drink plenty of water in the days leading up to your tattoo appointment. You should be doing this on a regular basis anyway.

• Eat a healthy meal an hour or two before getting tattooed. Tattooing can take a lot out of you and requires a lot of energy.

• You can bring a snack with you to munch on during breaks as well as something to drink to keep you hydrated.

• Get a good nights sleep the night before.

• Try not to stress yourself. A lot of people have great results with meditation or yoga before their appointments. It's worth a try if that's something you're into. Being comfortable and relaxed is the most beneficial.

Wear something comfortable... and breathable. Layer clothing so that if you get overheated, you have a way to cool down. Wear old clothes... tattoo ink stains!

Wear something that allows easy access to the area you'd like tattooed. We need no more exposed than the area in which we're going to be working with a few inches surrounding to be able to wipe excess ink away.

When in doubt, call and ask.. That way we're not struggling to work around clothing on the day of, and you don't have to worry about putting on a show.

I strive to create a relaxing and art-filled experience for my clients. While I understand that getting a tattoo can be an exciting event that you might want to share, I ask that you limit your companions to one person who is 18+. This allows us to maintain an intimate and focused environment, which is crucial for the artistic process. A group can be distracting and isn't conducive to the detailed and careful work that tattooing requires.

Tattoo healing times can differ greatly from person to person.

Most people are healed superficially within 2 weeks, while under the surface, the dermis is still repairing itself and should be back to your skins normal texture by 6 to 8 weeks. Just because it's healed on the outside, doesn't mean the tattoo is completely healed under the skin. Healing time can depend on the individual and their health. The better your health, the faster and easier you'll heal. Skin type can also be a factor in this. Healing time can depend on the body part. Some areas will heal faster than others depending on how much you use that body part. Joints and places that flex or bend on a regular basis can take longer to heal. This includes hands and feet, which can take up to three weeks or more for superficial healing because of the difference in the texture of the skin in these locations. Each artist works differently and certain individual techniques may overwork the skin and cause the tattoo to take a bit longer to heal. Tattoos that scab may often take a bit longer to heal than a tattoo that peels.

More information on healing and aftercare can be found on the aftercare page.

No. Some tattoos will scab, some will peel. Sometimes a tattoo will do both due to differences in the techniques required to achieve specific effects. Either is possible and quite normal. There is no way to predict whether your tattoo will scab or peel. This can vary with each individual and each tattoo as well as each body part and the aftercare used.

Once the tattoo is totally healed with no more peeling and no more scabs, then it's safe to resume swimming and bathing/soaking.

Try to give it a month or more before you go for hefty sun exposure. UV rays from the sun are always bad, even if you don't have a tattoo. UV rays can really damage your tattoo. Sunblock is your new best friend because the sun is your tattoos worst enemy, aside from road rash. Apply a high spf sunblock to your healed tattoos- generously and often when you're out in the sun.